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Ritchie Scott
Richmal "Ritchie" Scott is Phil Mitchell's lawyer. She made her first appearance on 21 October 2005, and her last on 16 July 2019. Backstory According to DI Samantha Keeble, Ritchie used to be a stripper and used the money for her law school degree. Appearances Ritchie is Phil Mitchell's solicitor, taking the place of Marcus Christie. Ritchie is first seen when she visits Phil's mother Peggy Mitchell and gives her information and advice about Phil's upcoming trial for armed robbery. In November 2005, Ritchie gives Phil advice about his sister Sam Mitchell's arrest for the murder of Den Watts, and in April 2006 advises him on his custody battle for his son, Ben Mitchell, with Ben's older half brother Ian Beale, following their mother Kathy Beale's supposed death. In 2006, she works alongside Stella Crawford, who meets with Phil when Ritchie isn't available. Phil re-hires Ritchie in January 2007 to represent Sonia Fowler when she is arrested for the murder of her ex-mother-in-law, Pauline Fowler . Ritchie appears again in January 2008 when Jack Branning has recorded evidence that Phil supplied Kevin Wicks with stolen cut-and-shut cars that led to Kevin's death. In September 2009, upon the return of Sam Mitchell, she advises the Mitchells that Sam faces five and a half years in prison for perverting the course of justice, failure to surrender and travelling on a false passport. In June 2010 she visits Phil to talk about Ben's upcoming court case for assaulting Jordan Johnson and suggests that Jordan could change his story to say Ben was provoked. When Ben is due to attend Crown Court, Ritchie tells Phil that, based on a recent, similar case, Ben could get six weeks' custody. However, Phil is angry with Ritchie when Ben is sentenced to 10 months. In December 2011, Phil re-hires Ritchie when he is arrested for the murder of Kevin Wicks after Denise Fox hands in a copy of Jack's recording. She returns soon after to warn Phil to flee the country as the police are coming to arrest him. Although she does not know why, it is for the murder of Stella Crawford. In March 2012, Phil's partner Shirley Carter confronts Ritchie because Phil is going to plead guilty to the manslaughter of Stella. Ritchie informs Shirley that Phil was attacked in prison. After Ian reveals to the police that Ben had lied about Stella's murder, Ritchie informs Shirley of Phil's release from prison. In April 2012, she represents Billy Mitchell when he is arrested on suspicion of the murder of Heather Trott after he is found in possession of a large amount of money, which the police suspect he stole from her before she died, though this is not true. Ritchie convinces Phil to tell the police that he loaned the money to Billy and he is later released on bail. In August 2012, Ben Mitchell confesses to Heather's murder. Ben refuses to let Ritchie represent him, which angers Phil. She is present when Phil's family are interviewed, and later informs Phil that Ben could face a minimum of 10 years in prison. Ritchie returns, in March 2014, when she sorts out the contract for Phil and Sharon Rickman's new bar, The Albert. She advises Phil to watch Sharon carefully as she had tried to take full control of the bar without Phil's knowledge. In May 2014, Phil asks Ritchie to contact Ben in prison to convince him to see Phil and grant him a visiting order, but Ritchie tells Phil that Ben had been released from prison the previous month. In July, Ritchie gives Billy legal advice when he is accused of involvement in the murder of Lucy Beale (see Who Killed Lucy Beale?). She leaves when Phil advises him to implicate Lucy's twin brother Peter Beale to draw attention away from himself. Ritchie is present when Billy gives his statement to the police and it is revealed that she knows the lead investigating officer, DI Samantha Keeble. Billy ignores the advice and tells the truth and Ritchie tells him that he has implicated himself as a prime suspect in the investigation. In August, Ritchie appears in an online clip, representing Jay Brown whilst he is questioned by Keeble in connection with a robbery. The following day, Ritchie visits Phil and Sharon and explains that the robbery Jay is suspected of was committed the night Lucy was killed. She also reveals that there was another boy present during the robbery who matches Ben's description. Phil later meets Ritchie outside the police station and she reveals that she has found out the address of the witness who identified Jay and Phil tells her to visit him, whilst he gives Jay an alibi. In January 2015, Ritchie appears when Phil is charged with attempting to murder his cousin Ronnie Mitchell by cutting the breaks on her car. Ritchie informs Phil's family of the charges against him and tells Sharon that Phil wants her to visit him in prison. The following day, Ritchie refuses to help the Mitchells further as she hasn't been paid and offers to pass Phil's case files to another solicitor, which angers Sharon who accuses Ritchie of being disloyal. Two weeks later, Sharon contacts Ritchie and convinces her to take on Phil's case again after promising to come up with the money Ritchie is owed. In April, Phil meets up with Ritchie after stealing her client book from her office. He threatens to reveal her criminal clients if she does not clear the Mitchell's debt with her. Ritchie reluctantly agrees to Phil's demands and he gives her the client book back. Phil then hires her to represent Dot Branning when she is accused of murdering her son Nick Cotton, and she also helps Phil track down Sharon's birth father. She also gives Phil information about Vincent Hubbard. In July 2015, Ritchie represents Ben Mitchell when he is arrested for Lucy's murder. She barges into the police station and interrupts a video identity parade Keeble and Jill Marsden are holding with a witness. Ritchie is furious with Marsden and berates her for her methods, accusing her of bending the rules. She then advises Ben to remain silent during his interview, which she sits in on. She later updates Phil on Ben's situation and he thanks her, causing Ritchie to remind him to pay her on time. Marsden asks Ritchie to wait in the interview room whilst she and Keeble review some new evidence. Ritchie then calls Phil from the police station and gives him another update on Ben's situation. Ritchie is annoyed at being kept waiting by Marsden and nearly overhears her telling DS Cameron Bryant that she used to be a stripper to pay her fees for law school. Later in the week, Ritchie reveals that Ben will still be held in custody for mugging Lucy and that the police will be wanting to question Jay over the mugging too, causing Jay to flee. Ritchie sits in on Marsden's interview of Ben over Lucy's mugging. When Marsden goads Ben and reduces him to tears, Ritchie orders her to terminate the interview and release Ben, threatening to report her to her superior officer if she does not. In November, Ritchie helps Sharon seize control of Phil's assets by power of attorney after his drinking spirals out of control and she signs them over to Sharon and Ben. In March 2016, Ben and Ronnie contact Ritchie when they attempt to seize control of Phil's businesses as he continues to behave erratically, and Phil throws them out of his house when he discovers what they are planning. Ritchie tells Ronnie that there is nothing she can do and Phil shouts at her as she gets in her car to leave. After Phil destroys the car lot with a digger and is arrested, Ritchie brings him home from the police station the following day. In April, Ritche reappears when Jay is arrested for having a relationship with an underage girl. Ritchie refuses to represent him, but advises him to speak to the duty solicitor and informs the Mitchells that Jay is being charged with possession of indecent images of a child. In May, Sharon hires Ritchie to represent Bobby Beale after he is arrested for assaulting his adoptive mother Jane Beale. Ritchie advises Bobby not to comment during his police interview but Bobby ignores this. After the interview, Ritchie leaves the room, and DS Howard South then informs her that Bobby has confessed to Lucy's murder. Ritchie then sits in when the police interview Bobby about Lucy's death. The following week, Ritchie is present when Bobby is charged with unlawful killing, and is annoyed when he is refused bail. Ritchie then visits Jane and Ian at the hospital, where Jane is recovering, and advises them to convince Bobby to plead not guilty, to give her time to build up a convincing defence case before the trial. Ritchie visits Ian and Jane at the hospital again on the day of Bobby's sentencing. She tells them that as Bobby had pleaded guilty there is a chance that he could return home if the judge sentences him to a non-custodial youth rehabilitation order. Ritchie later attends Bobby's sentencing and mitigates for him, but despite her best efforts, Bobby is sentenced to three years youth custody. The following day she informs Ian of Bobby's progress in prison and tells him that Bobby is doing well as it is different to an adult prison. Ritchie also suggests appealing against Bobby's sentence, and offers to argue that he could be rehabilitated more at home. She then tells Ian that the choice is Bobby's but then tells Sharon Mitchell and Kathy Beale (who is actually alive) that Bobby may choose to stay in prison and serve his sentence. In October, Ritchie visits Phil in hospital, where he is suffering from liver failure, and helps him amend his will, leaving everything to his daughter Louise Mitchell. After Sharon objects, Phil calls Ritchie back to the hospital and gets her to change the will to include Ben and Sharon's son Dennis Rickman Jr. Ritchie returns in September 2018 to help the Carters free Mick Carter from prison after he is accused of shooting Stuart Highway. Profile Occupation: Lawyer and is friends with Jimmy ( also helps Phil) Category:Characters Category:Female Characters Category:Guest Characters Category:Past Characters Category:Recurring Characters Category:Solicitors Category:2005 Arrivals Category:2019 Departures